Therapy involves forming a relationship with a trusted individual where you get to share the most intimate details about yourself in hopes of gaining self-awareness, developing coping skills, and processing difficult thoughts and feelings within a secure space. The therapeutic hour is made to focus on you and what you decide to bring to the therapy session. Sometimes therapists decide to utilize what is known as self-disclosure to help normalize struggles, align with clients, and nourish a positive connection. Self-disclosure refers generally to a counselor's sharing of personal information to clients during or outside the counseling session. Each client is different and some prefer to keep the focus on themselves during the session, while other clients may feel more comfortable opening up to their therapist if they know more about them. We encourage our clients to let us know their personal preferences to help provide an authentic experience and create a more individualized plan because we know that one size does not fit all!
For today’s blog, we decided to utilize a bit of self-disclosure so you can get to know our team a little more!
Mel Hansen, LMHCA
Books that are currently on my shelf:
"Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience" by Brene Brown, "A Thousand Ships" By Natalie Haynes, and "A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win WWII" by Sonia Purnell
Music that I’ve been listening to lately: “My most listened to bands of 2022 would be: Katastro, Dirty Heads, and Tropidelic. My favorite genre of music is reggae and my favorite song to start the day is Morning Light by Ian Ayer's & the Soul Purpose.”
My favorite self-care activities include:
“Listening to audio books & music, going to Sounder matches, playing arcade games, yoga”
Favorite movie? “The Princess Bride & Hamilton”
Michael "Bucky" Hourigan, LMHCA
Books that are currently on my shelf: "The most recent novel I've read was Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff; but a lot of my bookshelves are taken up by RPG books, so I'd say the Pathfinder 2 Rulebook is pretty high up there."
Music that I have listened to lately: "Music-wise, I listen to all sorts of stuff, but I would say Chromatica by Lady Gaga is the best album of at least the past five years."
Favorite podcast? "My favorite podcast that I've listened to would be Welcome to Night Vale, especially the earlier seasons. It's so weird, but no one really acknowledges that it's weird."
Favorite self-care activity? "My favorite self-care activity is to plug into video games like Final Fantasy XIV and escape for a little while."
Favorite movie? "Movie-wise, 80s and early 90s horror is amazing, and I think I'd have to crown the 1982 version of The Thing. You can't go wrong with young Kurt Russel! (Not to mention young...er Wilford Brimley!)"
Cierra Gloeckner, LMHCA
What books are on your shelf?
"Hood Feminism NOTES FROM THE WOMEN THAT A MOVEMENT FORGOT By Mikki Kendall, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Book by Joy DeGruy Leary, Freedom from OCD by John Grayson" Favorite podcast or type of music?
"Balanced black girl podcast, self love fix podcast"
Favorite self-care activity? "Self date"
Favorite movie? "Save the last dance"
Natalie Callely, LMHC
What books are currently on your shelf? "The Invisible Lion by Benjamin Fry, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, The Stranger by Albert Camus, and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl"
Favorite podcast? "Self Healers Soundboard"
Favorite music? "Lately I have been listening to Trampled By Turtles
Radio on Pandora. Another few of my favorites
are Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Radiohead, and Bon Iver."
Favorite self-care activity? "Yoga, journaling, drinking hot tea,
going for walks with my daughter,
and diving into a good book."
Favorite movie?
"I have always loved The Breakfast Club."
Phebe Brako-Owusu LMFT
Founder & CEO
What books are on your shelf?
"Spare by Prince Harry. Atomic Habits by James Clear. Who fears death by Nnedi Okorafor"
Favorite podcast?
"The Read"
Favorite music? "Afrobeats"
Favorite self-care activity?
"Taking random naps"
Favorite movie? "Black Panther"
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